I will SMOKE if I want to =~. Review on How to Quit Smoking - Tips and Tricks

I will SMOKE if I want to SMOKE=~

I am a smoker and yes I do smoke in public places.WAIT! Hear me out before you click on that'Not Recommended' button!

OK, well here goes.

I am not proud of the fact that I smoke, nor am I ashamed. I smoke because I want to. its more of a habit than an addiction because I can actually go without having a cigarette if need be. Non-smokers constantly tell me that it’s a disgusting habit and its bad for my health, blah blah blah. I know. I know it’s injurious to health and I know it is not a nice habit but I don't need to be reminded of this constantly. I will smoke if I want to smoke and I will give up when I want to give up.

You will probably think that I am wrong to write this opinion under tips for giving up smoking.but my justification is that the only way you will give up smoking is if you WANT to give up!

If you do not smoke then that is very good, but I don't think you should lecture people who do all the time. The more you lecture them, the more likely they are to do it.

Having said all that, you probably view me as a right inconsiderate person! However, I can honestly say that I am not. I am quite a considerate individual when it comes to smoking in public and I understand the consequences of passive smoking. I generally tend to smoke only outdoors in the open air or when I am in the confinement of my car. I feel that these are the best measures I can take to ensure that my habit causes the minimum effect on non-smokers other than to quit altogether. Some of my friends’ smoke, but many of my friends do not. I will always feel uncomfortable smoking when I am in the company of non-smokers and therefore would not smoke in these situations. Also, even if I am outside, I will always make sure that when I smoke, I am away from children and away from anyone that it may cause uneasiness to.

I am not a complete saint however. If I go to bars, clubs, pubs, restaurants, etc, and if there are smoking areas available, then depending on the company I am with I would sometimes sit in these designated areas. Now you are probably thinking'Hypocrite.First he said he smokes outdoors and now he is saying that he smokes in confined public places also.' Well, in all fairness I did mention that I smoke in these designated areas'sometimes'! The way I see it is like this. If I am a smoker and there is a designated smoking area situated in a public place, if I feel like having a cigarette then I do not see why I should not. If there was not a designated smoking area then it would not bother me as I would respect that rule and respect the fact that I would have to go without. But I generally look around me to see who is around and if my smoke directly affects anyone else. I always try to make sure that I smoke near windows or where there is some kind of ventilation so my fumes do not circulate around in the same air.

There are people that think that smoking should be banned in public places altogether, but I do not agree with this.

The facts.

'Public support for smoke-free environments has been growing steadily in recent years. Numerous surveys have shown a clear majority of people, including smokers, support smoking restrictions and that they are concerned about breathing in other people’s smoke. Overall, more than 80 per cent of UK citizens are in favour of smoking restrictions in public places.'

'Many other public places such as cinemas, shopping centres, banks, etc. also ban smoking, while in places where people may spend a long period of time such as airports and places of entertainment, separate smoking and non-smoking areas are normally provided.'

‘France is an example of a country where smoking was banned by law in most public places but failed to win public support for the measure. As a result, there was poor compliance, at least initially, particularly in bars and restaurants’

• Quotes taken from website https://ash.org.uk

To the question of whether smoking should be banned in public places or not?.

As a smoker, I respect the fact that I cannot smoke in certain public places and if it were banned altogether then I would still be able to cope with that. However I do not see why smokers would be banned from smoking on the streets. I can understand why it would be banned from confined areas such as restaurants, shopping centres, etc. but I do not see why a smoker should not be able to smoke outdoors. Some would argue, that we would be polluting the air that non-smokers breathe, but hey.give us a break! Smoking is an addiction for some and strongly disapproving non-smokers should respect that instead of jumping on their morale high ground. They should respect smokers' decisions as most smokers do respect non-smokers'.

Whilst smoking in public places is still legal, I am in full support of improved ventilation being installed in confined public places to reduce the risk of passive smoking. I understand that this may cause inconvenience to non-smokers but whilst certain public places offer smokers the chance to'light up' in designated areas, then they will have to make do and respect that.

Conclusion.

If smoking were banned in all'confined' public places then I would not argue with this and could live with it. However, I do not see why there should be a total ban on smoking outdoors in public. At present there are rules and regulations regarding smoking in public. I respect them and so do the majority of other smokers. Even in designated smoking areas, I am cautious about putting others' health at risk and I feel that other smokers should also take this into consideration. However, non-smokers should understand that people smoke and many smoke out of addiction. It is a hard habit to kick and a little support not criticism would not go amiss. I feel that if smokers were not constantly looked down upon and lectured, then they would be more considerate towards the situation.The bottom line is that it does not matter where it is, or with, the more restrictions you inflict on something, the more people are going to do it. Totally banning smoking in public places will NOT solve anything.

All in all, I feel that there should be some mutual respect and understanding between smokers and non-smokers.

s0h@iL©